The greatest wide receiver in college football the last two seasons could help a number of teams in great need of a skill position player like himself, but Justin Blackmon finds himself falling past each one of those teams in Drafttek’s latest six-round mock. Instead, Blackmon falls to the Washington Redskins at No. 6 in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft in this mock:
The WR position in the NFL is growing. No, not in importance, as 2011 was the rise of the TE, but in physical size. In 2007 and 2008, 50% of 1,000 yard receivers were 6’0" or under. In 2009, that number was 43%. In 2010, it dropped again to 39%. In 2011, only 26% of 1,000 yard receivers were 6’0" or under. This trend makes sense, as the average height of a CB has dropped from 6’0" in the 90s to just over 5’10" in 2011. Justin Blackmon is one of the most consistent receivers I have seen coming out of college football. He has dominated almost every game for two straight seasons. He runs great routes, and his big body and wing span make him a fantastic target for any team. For a team like the Redskins, who only have one contributing receiver over 6’0", Blackmon could make a rookie-of-the-year-type impact. This would allow the Redskins to keep Moss in the slot in a Welker-type role and use Gaffney and Hankerson as a very solid #2 combination.
That’s an interesting spot for Blackmon considering that the St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns who choose from No. 2 to 4 respectively all need an impact receiver. A.J. Green’s impact could be felt last year chosen at No. 4, so it would be surprising to see Blackmon make it past the same in this year’s draft.
However, Michael Floyd is rising up draft boards, providing another surprise at wideout. Drafttek has the Seattle Seahawks taking Floyd at No. 10 overall:
Usually-forthright Buddy Nix said last month that he wants 1 or 2 WR’s in free agency or the draft, mentioning 6’5", 235-lb Calvin Johnson as the prototype. That’s good news; Nix won’t be trading picks for 6’1" Justin Blackmon, or trading back into the first for 5’10" Kendall Wright. Michael Floyd isn’t Megatron, but he’s big and athletic enough to out-jump and out-muscle defenders in the red zone. I’d be disappointed if the Bills didn’t consider Alshon Jeffery before opting for Floyd, but the taller, heavier Jeffery had fewer TD’s and a lower reception average over the last 2 years, and in 2011 had a lower yards-per-game average with half of Floyd’s 100 receptions. Floyd was the more consistent receiver over the last 3 years in receptions per game with 6.3, 6.1, and 7.7 to Jeffery’s 3.5, 6.3, and 3.8. I sure hope Nix gets a pass rush in free agency and RD2 if this is his RD1 pick
That Floyd pick is good news for the Chiefs, where every pick that they do not need (such as another first round receiver) knocks another possible player to them at No. 11 or 12 (to be determined by a coin flip). If Floyd goes this high, that means another offensive tackle or defensive tackle slips further down the board to them.